The windswept hills of western Pakistan have witnessed the rise and fall of empires.

Situated on an ancient trade route between East and West, Balochistan province remains infused with centuries of Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Sufi heritage. Stretching hundreds of miles along the Arabian Sea, its otherworldly coast is considered home to the divine. Every spring, more than 40,000 people flood the monochromatic landscape to honor the goddess Sati and cleanse their sins through a series of rituals during Hinglaj Yatra—the largest Hindu pilgrimage in the Muslim-majority nation.

The origin of Hinglaj begins with a tale of ill-fated love. According to legend, the goddess Sati married Shiva, god of destruction, against her father’s wishes. To